The first part of our interview focused entirely on BlazBlue and the upcoming PlayStation Vita title. We shifted topics and discussed Toshimichi Mori’s ideas for an action game and the possibility of series crossovers in the BlazBlue universe.

Arc System Works is known for making fighting games, but your company has branched out with the Family titles Aksys published for WiiWare and Hard Corps Uprising. If you weren’t working on BlazBlue what kind of genre would you like to work on?

Toshimichi Mori, Producer:Action games. I’ve been thinking about making an action game like Devil May Cry for a long time.

Can you tell us more about your idea? You have someone with a sword who is quite popular in the BlazBlue universe who could star in his own action game.

More questions? [Laughs] I always wanted to make an action game that didn’t have difficult controls and was still enjoyable. I want players to get better and learn how to play a game simply by playing it and going through the levels.

Games like FPS (first person shooters), the controls are not that difficult. You don’t have to memorize all of these inputs, compared to fighting games. Even so, these games have the same depth as a fighting game. This is the kind of direction I’m thinking especially because with Arc System Works fighting games there are so many details you have to study and learn.

That’s interesting. I agree there is a lot players need to master and understand to be a mid-tier player for an Arc System Works fighting game. How do you feel you can make the games, even the ones you’re developing now, more accessible?

One idea is there is the possibility to get rid of all the complicated stuff and start over all over again with a brand new game without all of the extra systems.

Is that something you would really do?

To be honest, we have the feeling that we want to do that to reset the game. [Laughs and pauses to think.]

Well, it is pretty hard because many players like different elements from the games. It’s difficult to cutout some pieces. If we have less systems some players might not like that. That is a dilemma.

Plus you’re Arc System Works so you must have lots of systems.

[Laughs] Nice joke!

Crossovers are popular with fighting games and we’ve seen some BlazBlue characters pop up in other titles like Lord of Vermillion II from Square Enix and Queen’s Gate from Bandai Namco. We haven’t seen any characters crossover into the BlazBlue series, which series would you like to work with?

Honestly, until the BlazBlue story comes to an end we don’t want to add something outside from the story into the game. If we must choose, one series we’d like to work with is Trigun.

That suggests you already have an idea how BlazBlue will end, right?

Yeah, I had an idea from the start.

How far along are we in your plan?

Now, we’re a little bit over halfway through. The plan was to finish the series with the next title, but at the moment it’s getting pretty hard to wrap everything up. [Laughs]

I guess you’ll disappoint fans hoping for Guilty Gear X BlazBlue.

Until BlazBlue is finished we don’t have any plans for that.

[Spencer’s note: Earlier I asked about Guilty Gear, which Mr. Mori is not involved with, he told me that’s something I would have to ask Daisuke Ishiwatari about.]

You brought BlazBlue to the 3DS near launch and BlazBlue is already in development for Vita. Since you’re on the cutting edge, what do you think of Wii U?

At this point, we do not have enough information on Wii U.

How about a fighting game where you knock someone out of the TV and onto the controller?

[Laughs] We still don’t have enough information. We’d have to look into it and the specs of the console.

You mentioned Trigun as a series you’d like to work with. Not necessarily tied to BlazBlue, but what other series would you be interested to develop into a game, perhaps similar to how Arc System Works worked with Fist of the North Star?

In addition to Trigun, maybe Gatchaman for an action game. This is just in my mind, but if I had a chance I would like to do Gatchaman from a different perspective as a dark hero, like Batman.

What makes dark heroes so fascinating? That seems like a growing trend in Japanese games.

Because I like Batman! [Laughs] I really enjoyed the new Batman movies like The Dark Knight. In these uncertain days, people are not sure what is good and what is bad. Dark heroes kind of represent that feeling for players.

Trigun was an amazing anime and hands down Shanks; was ferocious but at the same time understandable from a character view. He wasn’t evil out of nowhere and the story behind the whole anime, really made you understand things from their perspective as brothers.

Wow, I’m ecstatic to see producers bring up not just recent animes but ones from years back to add or crossover into their games…just simply bravo bravo.

I will continue to love Arc System Works originality and flair they bring into the game industry as a whole!

Locklear93

I’d be happy to see Trigun thrown in, but only if I get to win as Knives and wipe out the human race. Damn pests. :P

Why wouldn’t he think of Trigun? Ragna’s practically based off of Vash. xD

PrinceHeir

Tatsunoko vs Arc System Works

the dream match of the decade O_O

z_merquise

Hakumen vs. Karas would be insanely epic and awesome.

Hours

I’m really glad they don’t want to do promotional characters in BlazBlue. A Guilty Gear vs. BlazBlue game would be great in the future, but I’d rather they’d focus on their own set of characters for now.

Cross overs I can handle, and usually are quite enjoyable, but when we
start getting guest characters in games that are already cross-overs
(Brawl, Street Fighter x Tekken), it’s starting to get ridiculous. I don’t need to see a Cole or Kratos in every fighting game, when each individual series has so many of their own great characters.

Locklear93

Seriously. I backed out of the Soulcalibur thread without posting it, but my initial reaction to them wanting to do 6, 7, 8, and 9 was “Go for it! Just no more idiotic, ill-fitting cameos, please.”

Istillduno

”
That’s interesting. I agree there is a lot players need to
master and understand to be a mid-tier player for an Arc System Works
fighting game. How do you feel you can make the games, even the ones
you’re developing now, more accessible?

One idea
is there is the possibility to get rid of all the complicated stuff and
start over all over again with a brand new game without all of the extra
systems.

Is that something you would really do?

To be honest, we have the feeling that we want to do that to reset the game. [Laughs and pauses to think.]

Well,
it is pretty hard because many players like different elements from the
games. It’s difficult to cutout some pieces. If we have less systems
some players might not like that. That is a dilemma.”

I really don’t get the drive these days to try and simplify fighting games.

I mean seriously, when you look at the average moaning forumer, them main complaints are always either about extras/story/character design or that they are losing to simple strategies. (Or even just 1 move repeated, since the word block isn’t in their vocabulary)

Simplify games right down and scrubs will still cry about getting bodied by one particular move or character, and the other complaints about non-gameplay parts will be the same as ever, only now the people who liked the more complex games will be annoyed as well.

HistorysGreatestMonster

I got hate mail in Mortal Kombat for “blocking too much.” Seriously.

Locklear93

Well, think about it! They were TOTALLY going to win, and your blocking nonsense ruined it completely! Who wouldn’t be mad? ;)

Ragna the Bloodedge = Vash the Stampede:
Both dressed in red and they got bounty on their heads.
Both got destructive power capable of destroying cities.
And both are travelling from different places but trouble folows them.
Also Blazblue’s settings had a bit of futuristic / steam-punk designs in it similar to Trigun.
It really look like Mori got some inspiration from Trigun when he first thought of Blazblue.

Now I feel like reading my collected Trigun Maximum books again.

A Trigun action game developed by Arc Sys would be really awesome. Just imagine it as a crazy, fast-paced action/shooting game with over-the-top character designs by Trigun creator Yasuhiro Nightow and an awesome soundtrack by Tsuneo Imahori (of Trigun and Gungrave anime).

Oh and if they thought of developing a game based on Tatsunoko’s anime, I hope it’s Karas. It got lot’s of cool characters plus the design and settings from that series looks inspired from Tim Burton’s Batman films.

An expansion or a more in-depth look into the world of Blazblue would be greatly appreciated, Mr. Mori. I hate when companies and writers craft these interesting worlds and addictive characters for only one or two games. I suppose that’s what fanfics are for, but still…

XypherCode

that was short :P

bjwanlund

I am a big fan of the Blazblue series Mori-san, and I would adore seeing more Blazblue titles, even if the gameplay tends to be difficult to pick up and play (which it already is TBH). I’ve got a fever, and the only remedy is more Blazblue!